Finnick's Games The 65th Hunger Games
by DamnHyper
Summary: The story of Finnick's Hunger Games told from the reapings all the way to his victory. Rated T just in case things get too..violent. Review please.
1. Chapter 1

Finnick's Games.

Chapter 1: The Reaping (**Third-Person****'****s****POV**)

"And now…for our boy tribute!" The escort for District 4, Lucia Twill, with her frizzy light blue hair that reminded fourteen year old Finnick Odair of clouds, crossed over to the huge glass bowl and reached her blood-red nails into the bowl that held the names of the boys eligible for the Hunger Games like the way an eagle sinks its talons into its prey…and in her ridiculous Capitol accent read, "Finnick Odair!"

_Oh no, how could this possibly happen? My chances are already so slim of being reaped compared to so many other boys my age! Why me? Of all people? Well goodbye, life, I loved you._

These thoughts ran through Finnick like fish swimming through the sea as he stepped up the stage, his shoulders stiff and his mouth set in a thin line. But then he remembered the reapings would be televised for all of Panem to see. He should try to attract sponsors. They could possibly be the only things standing between life and death in the arena. So wiping away his sullen sulk, he replaced it with a dazzling 1000-watt grin.

"What a handsome tribute! At least he'll die beautifully!" Lucia Twill joked, wrapping her hands around Finnick's shoulders playfully. It was then Finnick decided he hated her. Absolutely. _Capitol __citizens __are __so __shallow!__All __they __care __about __are __the __latest __freak __fashions __and __watching __people __fight __to __the __death __in __their __stupid __Games!_Even though Finnick felt disgusted, he managed to keep up the grin. Just for the cameras. His female counterpart, a girl called Annette Tish, glanced at him curiously.

"Before we take them to the Justice Building," _Ha!__What __a __joke,__the __Justice __Building.__More __like __the __Death __Building,__where __tributes __go __before __they __die!_ , "Would anybody volunteer for these two?" Lucia called out.

Her request was answered by wind whistling over the sea.

Finnick and Annette were led by several buff Peacekeepers into the Justice Building. Finnick sat in one room in the building by himself and waited to see if anyone would wish him goodbye. His first visitors were his family, father, mother and sister, Vicky. They hugged him and wished him good luck and goodbye and gave him his district token- a silver necklace with a trident on it. It reminded Finnick of how he hunted for fish- by spearing them with his trident which he was a master of. His second visitors were his best friends Skye and Blazer. They had tears in their eyes as they hugged him and all too soon they were chased out by the Peacekeepers and it was time to leave for the Capitol.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Opening Ceremony

On the train ride to the Capitol, Finnick was led to a room that would be his quarters until they arrived in the Capitol. He was told to change his clothes and come to the kitchen for lunch. Finnick stared at the room. It was three times as big as his whole family's house. He first headed for the shower which had a million buttons to press and got scalded with rose water and chose a simple ensemble of a light blue shirt and black pants and trooped down the hall for lunch.

He could smell the aroma of the food wafting through his nose 10 metres away from the dinner table. Annette was already seated there and so were the mentors Mags and Luke. Finnick was amazed by the sight of the food there were so many dishes it would be impossible to try them all. _More__like__a__buffet__fit__for__President__Snow__than__ '__lunch__'__.__Is__this__what__the__citizens__of__the__Capitol__have__every__day__for__lunch?__Wow._ Finnick zeroed in on the barbecued fish and attacked the plate of fish, nicely browned and added a few vegetables and grabbed a pudding and zoomed back to his seat and gobbled the food down. "Easy now. Try to eat more now so you won't starve easily in the arena but don't go overboard." Said Luke. Luke was a middle-aged mentor with greying hair and a receding hairline but green eyes as sharp as a bird's. Finnick nodded politely. Who knew what sort of crazy conditions the Gamemakers might come up with? Better to be safe than sorry. Although the meal was absolutely delicious, Finnick didn't really taste it for he was too busy wondering what his fate might be. And also because Lucia was eyeing him and making flirty gestures at him Creepy.

Once they had finished, Luke addressed both of them "Now listen here, you may not like what the stylists are going to do to both of you but don't whine or complain however painful the touch-up process or ridiculous the outfits may be. On the chariots, smile and wave and try to get sponsors" Mags said, "Do you have any special skills?" Annette shook her head but Finnick said, "Well, I can wield a trident fair enough to catch fish." "Good. Maybe we can send you a trident but if there so happens to be one at the Cornucopia, get it fast. Tridents are hard to come by but are just as deadly as spears."

The train pulled into the Capitol where Finnick and Annette were greeted by thousand of cheering Capitol citizens. A lot of them had obviously gone through operations. You could tell by the perfect face and body, the blinding white teeth, so beautifully aligned. Of course there were others whose skin had been dyed blue and embedded with hundreds of silver stars, the fox tails and talons, the vampire teeth, the colour changing eyes. As disgusted as he was by this city of freaks, Finnick still waved and blew kisses which were met with shrieks of delight. Annette stood next to him and smiled.

Once they train ride was over, they were whisked into special centres to be dressed up for tonight's Opening Ceremony.

**(Finnick's POV from here onwards)**

I bite my tongue to keep from screaming as my idiot Preparation Team strip another piece of tape off my leg, removing some of my leg hair. They aren't gentle. "I know it hurts alright? Just this last one. Thanks for not screaming. The last tribute we pulled in here was shrieking his head off!" pipes Andromeda . _RIIIIIP!_ Octavian strips away the last of my leg hair and the leader, Theseus smiles in satisfaction. "Ah, perfect. Now you can meet Helia. They leave the room and call for Helia, my stylist and all the while I am stark naked. And it's cold in this room. I'm shaking like a leaf by the time Helia saunters in. She has long black hair streaked with gold and rainbow coloured eyes. "Hello, Finnick. I see you Preparation Team did a good job. Come, wrap yourself in this towel and I shall put you in your costume."

Helia instructs me to shut my eyes as she slips me into this cool…thing and sprinkles something into my hair, slides a metal object into my hair, sticks a few things that feel like shells onto body then tells me I can open my eyes.

The creature standing in front of the mirror is me, but not me. I'm not wearing a top but I am wearing an electric blue tail studded with diamonds, a silver crown inlaid with emeralds and sapphires with silver glitter sprayed in my hair and small white shells dotted over my torso. "Here, take this." Says Helia as she passes me a silver trident to hold. I'm a mer-king. As much as I despise the Capitol and its citizens, I have to admit, Helia has made more handsome than I ever have been. I can't help but gaze at my reflection before Helia says "OK, time for the ceremony. Remember, you're already gorgeous, smile and you'll be a god."

_(Later, Opening Ceremony)_

I stand together with Annette on our silver chariot with blue wave designs etched on it. The chariot has no back. I fear I may fall and make a fool out of myself and _then_ who might want to might sponsor me? Annette looks breathtakingly beautiful in the fading light of the sunset. She too, is wearing a tail but it is bright gold in colour and nestled in her auburn tresses, an odd colour for a District 4 girl, sits a gold tiara with rubies in it. Over her chest sits two white shells and around her wrists bangles with pearls and a pink pearl necklace adds the finishing touch. I turn to her and say "You look amazing tonight." She smiles shyly and compliments me back in return. It is the first thing I have heard her say since the reaping this morning.

The District 1 chariot rolls out of the tunnel that conceals the chariots. The crowd roars. District 1 tributes are always the favourite and they have more victors than any other district. Of course they do. District 1 is part of a group of districts that the others call "The Careers". The name came because the kids train their whole lives for the Hunger Games to win. District 4 is part of the Careers but we're not bloodthirsty like Districts 1 or 2. Still, in the past sixty-five years, we have had thirteen victors, a fifth of them all. This pales in comparison to 1 and 2 of course but District 12 only has had two and only one remains alive and is a drunk. Pathetic. It's no surprise seeing as they're the poorest district in Panem.

Soon it's our turn. The horses slowly pull us out of the tunnel. I turn on my biggest grin yet and Annette waves. We are an instant hit. The crowd waves and yells and Annette and I blow kisses towards the crowd. I hope this gets me sponsors because that's the only reason why I'm doing it at all. I pretend my kisses are knives which I fling at the audience. This makes me seem more natural. The other districts pass by in a whirl of colour and thankfully it is over in a few hours. We are sent to our Training Centre, where we will live until the games begin.

We ride the elevator up to the fourth floor to have our dinner. As I walk down the buffet, I remember Luke's advice and decide to eat some carbohydrates to last me. I see some noodles with an orange sauce and add in some cod fish before settling down with the other to watch the day's events.

First, the reapings in the districts are shown. The boy from District 1, with shaggy blonde hair and of stocky build practically jumps to volunteer for the boy originally chosen. Nobody volunteers for the girl but she looks pretty happy about being chosen. See, here's the difference between District 1 and 4: We fight hard in the arena but we are not elated to be reaped. The girl from District 3 is scrawny and looks about twelve years old but has sharp birdlike eyes. I scrutinise her for a while. She may not have the build but she seems to have the brains. I better watch her closely during the training. She could be a valuable ally. The other districts pass by me until I see the boy from District 12. He's wearing an eye patch and his working eye doesn't seem to be in good shape. I know at once he will not make it past the bloodbath. He'll be far too easy to kill. The girl seems to be very different. Her grey eyes seem to glower at the cameras. She obviously hates the Capitol and its Games but can't conceal her emotions very well. I think she can fight but there's also this look in her eyes that tells me not to ally with her. Well, she's on my "Watch out for" list already. Wow. So much fight from 12. Maybe they're not so lame as I thought.

Mags sees me frowning over the District 12 girl. "Never underestimate tributes from the poorer districts. The victor for the 2nd Quarter Quell, one of the most dangerous years in Hunger Games history, was from 12 after all." "I'm not. I see her as a contender already." Mags smiles and says "Tomorrow, during training, trying a little bit of everything but don't let anyone see your best talent. Save it for the Gamemakers. Watch the other tributes and see who you might want to ally with."

The Opening Ceremony comes on next. Compared to the other tributes, District 4 really looks stunning, the crystals in our hair reflecting light and making us shine. I once again thank Helia silently. She may have just saved my life. Lucia is practically bouncing on the sofa joyfully as she said loads of people want to sponsor us! With such circumstances, maybe District 4 will have another victor, we haven't won for quite a while, all the glory taken by District 1, the pets of the Capitol.

At the end of the Ceremony, President Snow comes on, says a speech about the Games and blah blah blah blah. The television is turned off and Luke tells us to get plenty of sleep while we can. Phew. I'm exhausted and full. I stumble into my room, and not even bothering to change, collapse into bed and enter a world of nightmares.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Nightmare

Blood. That's what I see in front of me, a whole river of it flowing over the sand on the beach I stand on. Besides me, bodies are strewn over in a haphazard manner, all grotesquely killed and completely unrecognisable. I am holding a trident, studded with jewels, its tips stained with the red stuff that flows from the corpses. I look at the bodies and the trident. Back and forth, back and forth. _No._ I surely couldn't have done this! Only a monster would! I could never… A red wave looms over the beach, stained with the blood of the tributes. I hope this wave take the bodies away with it, I am getting sick from looking them. But instead, _I_ am engulfed in it's bloody tyrant. I can swim very well but the wave seems to take away whatever little strength I had. I fight against it but it no use. But then…are those eyes I see? Yes, eyes. They are amber in colour and then I realise who those eyes belong to. The last tribute I killed. A nose appears. Her flame-coloured hair. Her body is stained with blood as she reaches out her hands and closes them around neck. "This is for what you did to me…" Annette hisses in a ghostly whisper, her eyes full of hate. Her hands tighten and before I can make a sound, I wake up, drenched in sweat and trembling..

"Just…a…nightmare. Wasn't real. Calm down." I tell myself, my hands clenched into fists which I hold at the side of my temples. My little pep talk doesn't work. Because in a few days time, it will become real. Not the ghost part. The fact that I will have to take away the lives of perfectly innocent, albeit unlucky people is what I fear. Maybe my strategy should be _avoid,_ not _attack._It's worked before. The victor for District 5, a few years ago, hid in her own personal hideout, lived off the Careers' food supply but when it came down to her and a tribute from District 2, she turned out to be vicious with a knife. Another victor from District 7, Johanna Mason, pretended to be a coward until she was one of the last four that remained. The others didn't pay much attention to her, which was their big mistake. _Boom!_They were dead in a matter of minutes. Too bad I look too strong to have anyone believe I'm weak. And I can't look weak. I'm not getting sponsors that way. It might work for the District 12 boy though. I realise I've been thinking for so long that forty-five minutes have passed and it's almost time for breakfast. I take a shower first, change into a clean pair of clothes and go to he dining hall for breakfast, hoping some food might clear my addled mind.

**A/N: Yes. I know it's super short, I'll try to stretch my next chapter, if I can. If anyone's reading this. Well if you are, thank you! Keep reading. (: Gimme some advice on how I can improve. No flames, thanks again. :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Training.

When I go to the dining hall, everyone is already seated. Luke says, "You're late. Hurry up, training begins in fifteen minutes." I get a mug of some sweet-smelling brown liquid, grab a bowl of porridge, some fruit and wolf it all down in three minutes even if the hot drink scalds the insides of my cheeks. Well, whatever, it's nice.

Mags tells us "During training, try a little bit of everything and spot potential allies. Learn to handle a sword. Practice tying nooses. Memorise the edible plants and the ones with medicinal properties.. Stay away from the activity you're best at." We nod.

A cold feeling spreads through my body. It's time to train for the Games. I realise I've been acting like a weakling the minute I was reaped. I'm a _Career_, for Snow's damn sake! I'm supposed to own these games, not fear them. Time to get real. The second the Games begin, my survival is the number one thing on my priorities list. Besides, I don't even know these people and I never will. In the arena, everyone is my enemy. And what do you do to your enemies? Destroy them. And, that is exactly what I will do. Though I am crossing my fingers Annette's life will not end in my hands. Chances are, someone will get her first.

When we arrive at the Training Centre, which is just below the District 1 floor, a tall and bronzed lady called Atala instructs us that we may do whatever we want on our own and says that trainers will be available to assist us should we need their help. After the briefing, we disperse to do our own business. I head to the Edible Plants Station, taking a brief look at the plants, I realise a fair number of them can be found in District 4. There are many others, however which I do not recognise. After spending some time there, I can memorise almost every plant on the list. _Katniss, __blue __and __tube-like.__Can __be __found __in __ponds. __Excellent __source __of __starch. __Cuneberry,__maroon __in __colour __with __a __whitish __flesh.__Not __to __be __confused __with __Nightlock,__deadly __poisonous __and __has __a __blood __red __interior__…_

I make a beeline for the camouflage station where the girl from District 3 is colouring her arm so it looks like tree bark. Impressive. Taking some mud from a bowl, I swirl it on my arm and add a few dull-coloured greens and silver to make it look like the bottom of a river. The girl raises her eyebrows and says "That really does look like the bottom of a river. Do you spend most of time in District 4 fishing?" "Yeah, my family and I get up early each morning to catch some fish and sell them to the people in town and give the rest to the Capitol. They say the fish from District 4 is divine but those are our mediocore catches." I say with a wink. Might as well use my looks for _something_. "I'm Electra, Electra Luminisco, you're Finnick, the mer-king from the Opening Ceremony?" "Nice meeting you Electra, by the way, nice camouflaging." I say, as I head towards the weapons area, where most of the other Careers have moved on to the knot-tying station, flashing Electra a winning smile that makes her blush.

I take up some sword-fighting lessons from Anglo, the instructor and by the end of his lesson, I can parry and deflect his strikes like a professional. Anglo is slightly miffed that I could possibly beat his legendary skills but glad that he taught me well. I see the boy from District 12 watching me closely. I think he's trying to copy me but with little success. His scrawny arms struggle to hold even the tiniest dagger and he keeps squinting out of his good eye. My heart fills with pity and I want to help him but I remember my resolve. _No.__He __is __supposed __to __be __your __enemy.__You __do __not __help __him.__Besides,__it __would __be __better __to __die __than __live __any __longer __in __this __pathetic __state._

By the time lunch comes around, I am in a much more cheerful mood than breakfast. I feel much more prepared_._ I've got people tripping over themselves to sponsor me, I've got the experience with the weapons, I know the edible plants. _The __crown __is __mine __to __take._ Of course, I've still got competition. Like the District 12 girl. I saw her at the weapons station. She can't possibly have any experience with them, coming from that poor district but she seems pretty good with a spear. I shovel down a huge helping fried rice with fish and ask Annette, "So how was training?" "It was alright. I learned to throw knives and practised first-aid." Luke addresses us, "See anyone you might want to ally with?" I reply, "The girl from District 3, Electra, seems a good person to ally with." Mags says, "Yes, that girl will be a great help to whoever she allies with. But you might want to ally with the other Careers _first_. Then when we send you a sign, you turn on them, disappear and ally with Electra, if she's still alive by then." Annette muses, "Well, that redheaded boy from 5 looks valuable. After we abandon the Careers, I'll go find him. His name is Drake Farrol." Luke grins, "Good strategy. I have a feeling we'll have a new victor to add to District 4's collection."

After lunch we train and train. I do some first-aid, practise my knot tying and try archery, which I'm hopeless at. The trainer, Lisabeth, sighs as I once again, miss the target completely. I better touch up on this area, I don't want the weapons in the Cornucopia to be all bows and arrows- that would be the end of me! I see the District 12 girl-I'll call her Gray from now on- watching me from a distance with a small smile on her face. _Oh __no.__She__'__s __discovered __my __weakness!__And __she__'__s __probably __good __at __archery._ I can't let this small weakness be the key to my demise, oh no. Fuelled with a desire to show Gray what a Career is made of, I pull back the bow, fix my eyes on the target and release the arrow. It doesn't hit the bull's eye but hits somewhere near it. Eh, close enough. I grin in satisfaction but Gray just rolls her eyes, comes over to the station, grabs a free bow and splits my arrow with hers. A bull's eye follows. A dummy gets hit between the eyes. She puts down the bow, smiles at me sarcastically, and stalks off to find another station. Ugh. Outshone by a District 12 tribute. How shameful. But I remember Mags's words "Never underestimate tributes from poorer districts." Yes. Definitely. She is one to take down. The boy from District 1 has noticed her as well. He is glaring at her. Probably jealous, like I am. Gray may have the talent but she is not wise, showing off like that. I'll make sure that if there's a bow and arrow, I'll have it.

Training ends around six in the evening, exhausted and sweaty, I drag myself into the shower, more aware of the buttons labelled with the functions. I hit a button that says "Summer Sea" and the smell of salt surrounds me as I am gently soaked in warm seawater. It rejuvenates me instantly but I am reminded of home. How is Vicky doing without me? How's the fishing business? Are Mother and Father worried about me? More worried about the business I should think. They trained me well enough.

_(Flashback)_

"_Fin, you pull back the damn arrow, choose your target, then shoot!" Father snaps at me, clearly exasperated. I nod, and shoot again, missing the target, for the six hundredth time in a row. My fingers are already numb. "Ugh! Can't get this right can you? Fine, let's move on to something easier. Try fencing. Here's your sword."_

_(Flashback ends)_

Well, maybe their training might pay off.

Dinner is a short, but fancy affair, again. Luke tells us what's going to happen for the next few days, "For tomorrow and day after that, you train some more. Then, you will have private sessions with us and Lucia on how to behave during your interview. This is interview will let the audience know about your personality, so try and play a favourable angle. Rest while you can." Oh no. A private session with that despicable Lucia Twill? As I had back to my room, I catch Lucia staring at me. She blows me kiss, bats her 2-inch eyelashes and skips back to her room on those insane 8-inch heels.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Training Scores

The next few days pass by me. I train, I ally with the Careers, train some more, work our strategy. The day after we finish our training, it's time to showcase our talents in private sessions with the Gamemakers.

I wait outside the room wondering what Electra is doing in there. Maybe she's doing some kind of camouflage? My fingers dance restlessly on my thighs. Why am I so nervous? Is it because the Games are starting the day after tomorrow? Probably. But as a Career, I should be excited! Julian, the boy from District 1, was practically bouncing off the walls in anticipation of the games during training. Although I made it my number one priority to stay alive even at the expense of others, I really don't want to turn into a mindless killer. I make a compromise with myself: _I __will __only __kill __when __utterly __necessary __and __never __out __of __sudden __impulse._

Just as I make the vow, Electra comes out looking quite pleased with herself. Her hands are slightly stained with dyes and I know she must have done camouflaging for the Gamemakers. The Gamemakers beckon for me to come in. I flash them a winning smile and say, "Hey there!" and some of the female Gamemakers sigh. I scan the weapons area and fix my eyes on a magnificent trident and pick it up and hurl it at a dummy twenty metres away. I spear it right between the eyes. They raise their eyebrows in admiration. I fling some knives at an army of dummies, ram a sword through some and lift a few heavy looking rocks and take out the rest. Lastly, I collect the trident, execute a few moves with it, toss it into the air, catch it and bow. The Head Gamemaker dismisses me and I walk out, hoping I get a Career-worthy score. Annette whispers to me, "Good show?" I reply, "Yeah but I think they don't have any more dummies." "That's okay, I'll do something else."

During dinner, Luke addresses us, "So…how did your private sessions go?" "Well I worked the trident, spears, knives and swords." Luke nods, "Good. A bit classic but classic usually gets you a 9 or a 10." I find out that Annette did camouflage and archery. "You two were probably charming!" exclaims Lucia happily but her gaze is directed at me. I'm somewhat excited to know what my score is, after all, I put on quite a good show with the weapons.

We gather around the television as the host announces the scores. District 1 and 2 get between the 8-10 range, District 3 gets pretty good scores, the boy pulling a 6 and Electra with a 7. I get a 10 and so does Annette. We cheer and high-five each other. Gray from 12 gets an 8 and the boy gets a 3. No surprise.

Mags sends us off to bed on a cheerful note. "Off to bed, we'll be training you on your interviews tomorrow, get some rest!"

Laying my head on my pillow, I realise I can't sleep. I should be getting some rest seeing as the Games start in two days but I just can't! I decide to go to the hall to sit for a little while. As I approach the hall, I notice Annette is sitting on the sofa, hugging her knees. "What's wrong? Couldn't sleep?" I ask her. She looks up, startled and I can see in her eyes the fear of a mouse when an owl is swooping down on it, about to swallow grasp it in its talons. "Yeah, just thinking about the Games." "Me too, I know I shouldn't be afraid but how can you not be when your life could end in a few week's time?" "Mine probably will. You'll be the victor." "Look, Annette, don't count yourself out of the Games so fast! They haven't even started. And we're Careers. With high training scores. If we don't survive, we'll be one of the last few standing." Annette smiles at me. "Thank you Finnick. I just wanted to tell you…it was great knowing you and well…good luck for the Games." "You too, let's make sure District 4 pulls in another victor. Agreed?" We shake hands formally as a sign of agreement.

For some reason I feel a lot better about my odds after this agreement.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The interview

The next morning is the day of the interview…and the day before the Games start. Ugh. The other Careers were confused as to why I wasn't excited to kill innocent people. Before the interview, I get four hours of interview training with Mags and four hours of etiquette with Lucia. After the interview, the 65th Hunger Games shall begin.

"Okay, Finnick, because of your looks, we're going to try to play a smooth and seductive kind of angle. Nevermind the fact that you hate the Capitol. Think of someone back home you like." Mags says encouragingly. _Someone__I__like._ Um…I'm not sure. There are tons of girls in District 4 Secondary that have huge crushes on me. But someone I like back? My mind rolls through loads of people who don't qualify until..Yes! Annie Cresta. She never had a crush on me but we did speak to each other sometimes. She was one of my family's regular customers who came to buy our fish. She was two years younger than I.

_(Flashback)_

"_One pound of codfish for two dollars?" asked the brunette with emerald eyes. I don't know why but I felt I could fall forever in those hypnotising green eyes. And her face looked like it was sculpted by a master artist. She looked like…well a goddess! "Um…hello? Anyone home?" asked the girl, jolting me back to reality. "Of course! A pound of codfish is it? Alright then." I said, a little too quickly. I took some codfish and weighed it on the scale, put it in a bag and gave it to her. "You gave me two pounds." Said the girl. "Oh! Nevermind, take it. Extra pound is for free." "Thank you. What's your name?" "Finnick." "Nice, I'm Annie." "Well, see you soon here, Annie." It was only when she skipped out of the shop did I realise I was blushing. _

_Skye and Blazer walked over from where they had been oh-so inconspicuously looking at the cuttlefish. 'Dude," Skye begins, "You are so crushing on her!" finishes Blazer. "Um no, just because I gave Annie the other pound of codfish for free does not mean I like her! She's just kind of pretty, like a lot of other girls here!" As soon as I said that, I knew it was a lie. I did like her. But not in **that** way…_

_(End flashback)_

"Ok, Mags." I say with as much confidence as I can. We start the 'interview', with Mags being the interviewer, Caesar Flickerman. I try to keep Annie in my mind but the idea of being smooth with her seems impossible. I switch my focus to one of the other girls in my school who openly blow me kisses. Them, I can be smooth with. Annie? I'm a wreck. After I have someone else in my mind, the interview goes smoothly and Mags tells me I can see Lucia now.

When I stand outside the door, Annette is still inside. Lucia is yelling something in her warbled Capitol accent. "No, no, no! You walk like THIS! Don't hike your dress up so much! Glide with the train!" Annette seems to be pleading with her, "But how am I supposed to 'glide' with 4-inch heels?" After some scuffling about, Lucia seems to be satisfied and lets her go. On her way out, Annette points to Lucia and circles her index finger next to her right temple. "Yeah, she's a menace." I say jokingly. Annette looks at me and says, "I'm serious you know. My feet hurt from walking in those heels. Ouch!" and she hobbles towards Luke's room.

Lucia seems to be muttering under her breath, "Daughter of a savage, doesn't even know how to walk like a lady." When she sees me outside the room, she puts on a sickeningly sweet smile and beckons me in. "There you are! Be a dear and come on in will you? Close the door like a gentleman now…" When I do as she asks she waves at an empty seat, instructing me to sit. I sit down and sigh wearily under my breath. Four hours with this lady compared to being thrust right into the arena now? I'd take the arena thank you very much. Or maybe not. I decide to pay attention to what she says. My behaviour during the interview can affect my flow of sponsors.

The next four hours is what I like to call Death by Etiquette. According to Lucia, I have charming manners unlike "that wild savage" which is what she calls Annette. First, she makes me smile in the most seductive way possible, then she shoves a stick down my back because I 'tend to slouch' when I am sitting at my straightest, afterwards, I am to wear dozens of stiff suits are hot and stuffy that make traditional body armour seem exposing and strut around like an arrogant twit. We go through a fake interview but with no questions asked and the only thing Lucia looks out for is whether I'm slouching or wriggling my toes. After my session, I sent off to my prep team who touch up my face with traces of silver eyeliner and curl my bronzed hair. "OH! You look simply godly!" screams Andromeda, unable to control her elation. When Theseus approves, Helia is called in to dress me.

I am slipped into cool-feeling pants and clad in a dress shirt and a jacket made out of the same cool material as the pants adds the final touch. When Helia asks me to open my eyes, I am once again floored by how simply spectacular I look. The top of my jacket is a light sky-blue that gradually fades in to a pale silver. The pants are silver but the colours darken to form a deep navy blue. Silver fish are embroidered into the hem and catch the light and shine in every colour and seem to glow in both light and darkness. "Thank you Helia, thank you. You really are a brilliant stylist." Helia just smiles modestly or do I see a blush creeping up her pale cheeks? "You're welcome Finnick. Now go and win the audience! Remember, they already clamouring for you. Dazzle them." Those are the last words I hear from her before Mags collects me along with Annette, who looks beyond stunning in a strapless floor-length dress that is light pink at the top which somehow fades into a strong golden colour, to go and line up for our interviews with Caesar Flickerman.

The girl from District 1, Twinkle, steps up first dressed in a short, puffy-sleeved midnight black dress adorned with diamonds, her blonde hair framing her face and a black tiara, to meet Caesar, whom this year, is dressed in _pink!_ His hair is dyed an alarming fuchsia and his suit is a pale baby-pink in colour. His lips are hot pink. The three-minute interview begins and it's clear Twinkle's angle is cute. Her slight figure and short stature make it believable but she's a demon with morning stars. The buzzer marks the end of the interview and she floats towards one of the seats behind him. I don't pay attention to the others but when Electra comes on, I am stunned. She is wearing a short neon yellow dress studded with blinking electrical lights with a huge V-shaped collar that goes up to her face. Caesar asks her what her strategy is and she innocently says she doesn't really have much in mind and how can she tell, here? With all her competitors in the same room? When Caesar asks her what magical gadget her district will come up next, she says a certain type of music player, so small it can be glued on an ear stud and worn. What she says next probably guarantees her sponsors. She says though she's not excited for the Games, she'll fight hard to win because she had promised her eight other siblings so. Nothing like a little heart-warming family stuff. The boy isn't memorable and as soon as Annette finishes her interview, in which she happens to be both friendly and shy at the same time, which I admit, is a good angle, it's my turn.

Keeping all the tips Lucia gave me about walking in my head, I strut out in a winning fashion which leads to loud cheers. I flash a screaming lady a smile and blow a kiss to another. As I settle down on my seat, Caesar greets me, "Why good evening, Mr Odair. You're looking charming in that suit." "Thank you, Caesar, you're looking ravishing in pink tonight" "Thank you, now let's get down to the interview. So, how are you liking the Capitol?"

"It's cool, it's cool. First time in my life you see something other than the sea, fish and pretty girls. Because the girls here are gorgeous." I want to stab myself the minute I say this because it is so shallow of me to say such things but the Capitol ladies don't seem to mind. About fifty of them scream in delight. _Just __play __it __cool.__Two __more __minutes._

We exchange a couple of jokes about the fish which, if you ask me, are a bit stale. When Caesar compliments the texture of my suit, I applaud Helia, for making it, Lucia and Mags, for teaching me. Helia and Mags give me a tiny smile but I swear Lucia is pantomiming a faint. What a dramatic woman.

The buzzer sounds and I almost sigh with relief because my interview is over. Everybody- or should I say the female audience- groan in dismay as I smoothly make my way to my seat next to the others but not without two more kisses. The audience grabs blindly at the air to catch them.

I raise my eyebrows at Annette to ask if I did alright. She replies with a reassuring smile that I did well. Phew. Sponsors- confirmed.

The girl from District 5 is insanely jittery and has to act out everything she says. She's quite a good actor and when she acts out a joke, she has the audience rolling in the aisles. Drake Farrol seems to have put on a cheery façade but I see the desperation in his eyes. He needs the sponsors. Luckily the audience doesn't notice.

The rest of the districts don't interest me until District 12 comes on. The boy, seems to be infinitely depressed and cries a lot, Gray is glaring at everyone she sees and literally snaps her reply back at Caesar.

At last, we all stand in a line and bow and the programme is over. The Games begin tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Let the 65th Hunger Games begin

My sleep is fitful. Nightmares filled with corpses and ghosts plague me. When I wake up, I'm almost too tired to take a shower. When I finally do, I hit the 'Summer Sea' button again. Big mistake. I instantly wonder about my family, Annie. I wonder if I'm coming back. I'm suddenly overwhelmed by a sick feeling of my death and I resist the urge to retch.

Breakfast is quick and silent affair. Annette looks pale and sickly, Mags and Luke's expressions are unreadable. Are they worried for us? Confident in us? Helia and her partner avoid everybody's eyes and stare at their uneaten bowls of some green gloop. The only person who seems excited is Lucia. She is apparently trying to break to ice by making jokes about the Games. No-one but she laughs.

Although this is a Career district, I'm sure nobody is excited for their very highly likely death.

Before we are sent off with our stylists, I tell Annette, "Remember. One of us _will_ win." The corners of Annette's mouth are just turning up when Lucia overhears us and calls out "And it'll probably be you, Finnick!" The smile disappears but she still manages to choke out, "Yeah. If I don't win, it has to be you. Good luck."

My prep team scrub me down one last time then put me into a robe. Helia collects me and takes me to the Launch Room. My outfit for the Games is the same as everyone: a thin white cotton shirt that has tiny holes in it, tight-fitting grey pants, a lightweight, waterproof black jacket and boots. Helia frowns slightly as she studies the drab ensemble, "Hmm, I suppose the arena would be warm but also cold, thus the jacket…" She helps me into my outfit but I swear she's making more physical contact with me than necessary. Not like I'm surprised. Whenever a female teacher hands me something in school, our hands touch for just a second longer, much to the amusement of playful Skye and Blazer.

After that, I test out my outfit which fits perfectly by walking around and jumping. Even so, I'm much too hyped up with nervous energy to sit down. I know I should be saving my energy to run for the weapons in the Cornucopia- which is my job but I have to exercise my muscles right? I can only imagine what Julian is doing right now. Probably bouncing like a little kid on the springy green sofa hollering "I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE GAMES!" at the top of his lungs and driving his stylist up the wall. The idea of it is so hilarious in my mind that I can't help but laugh.

"All tributes are to report to their launch tubes in thirty seconds! Thank you!" pipes a chirpy voice from a hidden speaker that makes me jump out of my skin in surprise and kills my laughter. The Hunger Games begin in mere minutes. In mere minutes twenty-four tributes, all competing against each other, except the ones in an alliance, will make sure everyone else won't live to see the sun rise the next day. In mere minutes, I, as well as everybody else, will turn into a murderer.

I hesitantly step into my launch tube which closes behind me. Helia gestures to me something with her hands, some kind of Capitol good-luck sign as the launch tube slowly makes its way up to the arena.

The tube sinks back to my launch room but I know better than to step off. I'd be dead. Of course, some tributes have purposely done so because they didn't want to fight which is kind of stupid if you ask me. There are hundreds of hopes riding on you and you shatter them right before their eyes by committing suicide. Unless they had no-one counting on them, no-one expecting them home. The thought saddens me that people can be so heartless. But who am I to speak? When the time comes, I'll turn into a heartless killing machine too. Though some tributes can get away without killing, taking an innocent life from the world is pretty much inevitable for a Career tribute. They, having been trained their whole lives for this moment, are _expected_ to and even if you miraculously win without blood on your hands, you won't be as respected as the other victors. After all, the whole _point_ of the Games is to kill isn't it?

I study the arena. The first thing that reaches my senses is _hot._ No, not hot, _boiling_. I can practically feel my temperature rising and it reminds of the summer in District 4 two years ago when the temperature hit a record temperature and I almost died from a high fever. Thankfully, there's a strong wind blowing and I embrace it as I take off my jacket and tie it around my waist. There is a forest to my left and a clearing with a few large trees that hang over what is hopefully a cave with a lake glittering like a giant sapphire in the harsh glare of the sun. One glance at Annette confirms it. That's our stronghold.

I look at the other tributes' faces. Most of them aren't hiding their nervousness. The District 5 girl's knees are knocking together painfully and her fingers are trembling. Gray's eyes are fixed on our soon-to-be stronghold. Twinkle gives her a withering stare as if to say, "In your dreams, bitch." Gray rolls her eyes at her and positions her body so I know she's preparing to outrun us, secure the cave. Oh no way. Especially not after how she humiliated me in training.

I sweep my eyes over to the weapons. Hmm, no trident, a few bows, plenty spears and knives for a whole school for fish, clubs, swords, some backpacks and exactly one huge hamper of food. The other tributes are eyeing the hamper and glancing warily at each other in such a comical way I have to stifle a laugh. But I know the first thing everyone will run for is the hamper. That is the only thing that signifies the promise of food.

The one minute countdown has started, since I've already studied the arena, I've decided to refresh my memory with what I've been taught in training. _How __to __treat __a _minor _burn:__The __first __thing __to __do __right __away __is __to __treat __it __with __cold __water. __How __to __perform __mouth-to-mouth __resuscitation__…_

I'm somewhere on how to set a trap for tributes when it's the last five seconds of countdown. "Five, four, three, two…ONE. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET THE SIXTY-FIFTH HUNGER GAMES BEGIN!"

An explosion of white ensues. For a second, I'm momentarily distracted by how oddly fascinating that is before Julian is hollering obscenities at me to get moving. I fly into action and bolt to the Cornucopia, knocking down the District Twelve boy and a tribute from Ten in my haste. I can see I load my arms with as many weapons as I can and occasionally kick a tribute from behind. Luckily, Clarinde and Janus from District Two grab the weapons and start hacking away at everyone and anyone who comes close. Julian and Twinkle, straining under the weight of the hamper, motion for us to run to the cave. Gray is already ahead of us with a smug smile on her face as she turns around and sticks her tongue out. Twinkle closes her fist around a dagger that belonged to someone she killed found at the Cornucopia and hurls it at her back, making her fall to the ground. Another tribute finishes her off and takes the knife. I am sickened by how easily it was for her to just throw the knife and half kill her. But didn't I trample over the District Twelve boy, shove the District 10 girl to the ground without a second thought? The Hunger Games. Where survival comes first and morals come second. I look behind me, the boy can't get up, and the girl is still alive. Shaking off my regret, I tell myself that such things in the arena can't be avoided and sprint to the cave with the others.

The cave is cooler than the outside and we all sigh in relief, a break from the hot afternoon air. Twinkle and Julian shove the hamper in an alcove and cover it and the cave entrance with leaves and branches. We grab a backpack, each one containing an empty one-litre bottle, some dried apples, iodine, and night-vision glasses. We fill our bottles from the lake and purify it with the iodine and set off, heavily armed.

We first head to the Cornucopia, where there are still several tributes battling for supplies. Clarinde knees a tribute in the stomach then spears her through. Annette shoots some through the head and I disarm the rest and possibly break their bones while Julian and Twinkle kill the last ones. In a few minutes, five tributes lie on the ground, dead.

"Well, that was easy!" exclaims Janus, pumping his fist in the air. Do they actually enjoy this? But thinking in a real Career's way, I have five less opponents to deal with. So I should be happy, shouldn't I? But the blood seeping out from the corpses is starting to remind me of my nightmare so I interrupt them by clearing throat saying, "Let's move on so they can collect the bodies?" "Yeah sure but take the jackets, we might need them." says Clarinde. "Because?" asks Twinkle. "_Because_," Clarinde replies, dragging the word, "We might need extras in case it gets cold at night, moron. Now go get them!" "I'm not your servant, why don't you get them if you think they're so important?" they start to bicker until Annette sighs and collects the jackets but not before the hovercrafts take away two bodies, leaving only three jackets.

We set off into the woods, killing another two tributes before getting hopelessly lost for hours then finding our way back to the clearing, where the anthem has already started. I see the face of the District Three boy, the District Five girl, both tributes from Six, the boy from eight, the girl from ten, both from Eleven and Twelve.

Ten tributes dead. Seven killed by us, the remaining three either by the Gamemaker's traps or by another tribute.

"Damn, I'm tired! I'll take a short nap now okay? Seriously Clarinde, lighten up! For fifteen minutes alright? Geez." says Twinkle as she ambles into the cave while we stand guard outside. For a moment, there is silence then a high-pitched shriek that is unmistakably Twinkle's.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Night-hunting

"Bats! BATS! They're attacking me!" shrieks Twinkle from inside the cave. We rush inside, with Clarinde muttering under breath, "How melodramatic can that woman _be?_" But she's the first to turn hysterical when the bat mutts start clawing at her face. The mutts are much bigger than regular bats, the size of three cats wedged together with sharp claws that drip with blood. _My_ blood. I let out a shout as I see my arms have long scratches with rivers of red running down them. Janus beats away the bats but it's no use. Until Julian yells at us for being so stupid, I see what majority of the bats are after: food. The hamper has fallen from its alcove and its contents have spilled out all over the floor and the bats are shredding the food and eating it and attacking anyone who comes close. We scramble to snatch up anything the bats haven't touched yet, crackers, dried fruit, energy drinks. The bats claw at the foods as we run out of the cave, expecting them to pursue but they stay inside the cave.

We dump what we could salvage from the attack next to the lake: Two small packets of dried fruit, three bottles of water and crackers. We all stare at each other. It won't be enough to last us. We'll have to find our own food. Looking at the lake, I wonder… "Guys, wait. Maybe there's fish or something in the lake." Without another word, I take off my shirt and roll up my trousers, ignoring Clarinde, who is raising her eyebrows in amusement and dive into the water.

The ice-cold water bites into my skin and I resist screaming. I grit my teeth and push down into the water. To my disappointment, I see no fish and the lake seems is awfully deep. Nevertheless, I swim even further down. Soon, I reach the bottom of the lake. I recognise several plants, including the blue katniss tubers. I dig the tubers up, along with some other plants and look for more but the ones I dug up seem to be the only plants in the lake. With my hands full of plants, I kick my legs upwards and swim towards the surface.

I break the surface of the water and the feel of the wind on my wet skin almost makes me want to dive back under. I paddle towards the edge and dump the plants onto the ground. "Thanks, Finnick. But that won't be enough. We'll still have to find food." says Annette, eyeing the pile of roots and plants. Coaxing myself out of the water bit by bit, I dry myself with my shirt and get dressed. We then arm ourselves with the weapons in the cave, which the bats have thankfully deserted, and set off to woods taking everything with us, just in case.

The woods are scary at night. During the day they seemed so harmless but at night, they resemble faceless figures cloaked in leaves, their bony, gnarled hands reaching for the sky. Spear in one hand, knife in the other, we prowl through woods, ears open for even the slightest noise that tells us game or tributes are near, eyes alert for possibly edible plants through the night vision glasses.

"Hey look! Berries!" yells Janus, gesturing excitedly to a bush with fat maroon berries that look fit to bursting. He's about to drop one in his mouth when Twinkle rushes forward to check the berries. She splits a berry in half and inhales sharply when a blood-red interior glares back at us. Nightlock. "Thanks Twinkle. You saved my life." said Janus gratefully. "Anytime, Janus, anytime." Twinkle says with a flirty smile on her face. It is when Twinkle is lecturing Janus on the dangers of eating a berry without checking first I hear tiniest rustle above me…

Curious, I lift my eyes to source of the rustling. There, hiding behind some leaves, camouflaged against the tree is Electra, building a snare. She is shivering slightly, even with her jacket zipped up to her neck and pulled tight around her, which was the cause of the rustling. I don't alert the others to her presence though; I want to ally with her later, when Annette and I break the Career Alliance. Instead, I clear my throat loudly, hoping this will mask the rustling and say loudly, "Maybe we should move on? Since the berries are inedible?" "Alright. Let's move." Julian says. Everyone follows. He is unmistakably the leader. I swallow down the urge to breathe a sigh of relief. Electra is safe. For now, at the very least.

We continue our hunt, stopping to check the plants around us, with Janus being more cautious and Twinkle clinging to him like a leech. When we come back to the cave at dawn, we spill out whatever we could find in the woods at our feet. It is hardly more than the water plants. It's definitely not enough for six people. I don't have to look at Annette to know that she's thinking the same thing as me: The alliance must be broken tonight or we won't survive.

**A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLE! Hopefully 2012 will be a good year for everyone. (: To the people who reviewed and read the story: Thank you. (: I'm sorry if this chapter is super short, I wanted to get this chapter done by today, you know, to celebrate 2012 (the supposed end of the world -_-|||) . I hope you like the story so far, I'm planning to do a kind of series/trilogy on Finnick's life but I won't have much to post once school starts. OK, that's enough for a note, bye and HNY! ^_^**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Camisado**

"I'm completely and utterly _starving_, Clarinde! Can't I have even _one_ goddamn apple?" Twinkle whines. She's been pestering Clarinde, our food keeper all day long with the excuse that if she isn't up to her full strength, she won't be able to kill properly. "Look here Miss Bimbo, I too, am starving my ass off and I can wield my sword just fine!" Clarinde snaps, her ears turning pink as she impales her sword hilt-deep into a tree. She tries to tug it out but it has lodged itself firmly in the fat trunk of the tree. "Oh, this is just perfect! Janus! I need another sword!" she barks, as Janus sulkily shoves a blood red sword at her, resentment clear in his eyes that are surrounded by black circles from the lack of sleep.

With a swift motion, Clarinde has the tip of sword resting lightly on Twinkle's chin. "Now listen here, darling, I will give you one apple and you _will_ shut up until we find some tributes or food. Understood?" When Twinkle stares back defiantly, her voice seems to drop several octaves lower, "Or, I can just…" she says in a sing-song voice, pressing the tip of the sword deeper into her chin, drawing blood. "Fine!" she snaps, reaching her hand out, "Now give me that apple."

Clarinde removes a dried apple from her backpack, splits it into two and gives one half to her and keeps the other. "Hey, no fair!" she groans, glaring at the tiny half before her "You said one apple!" "Earn it." is Clarinde's cool reply. "Don't be so harsh on her, Clarinde," says Janus. "You want an apple as well? Well, nobody's eating any apples until we get some work done." "What about pears then?" asks Twinkle, smirking, but one look from Clarinde silences her and earns her a look of grudging admiration from Julian as he leads us on.

We drag ourselves through the woods for maybe another half hour when we come upon our first target: the girl from District Seven. She is gathering branches and tossing them in a heap beside a cluster of trees hiding two sleeping bags. Julius shoots a look at Clarinde who gives a dark smile in return. Our first target. Suddenly, she looks up at the sky as if in prayer, tears running her face. "_Please get me out of here,"_ she seems to whisper silently.

"I'll do it." Clarinde whispers, glancing about her furtively for any oncoming allies or enemies. Before anyone can argue, she takes a step forward...and trips over a branch, nearly falling flat on her face. "Damn it!" she swears, loud enough for the girl to hear. She whips her around to face us, terror written on her face. She scrambles towards the axe that lies beside her but Clarinde has already launched her sword in the air. "CHIFFON! CHIFFON! Help me!" she shrieks just as Clarinde's sword sails through the air in what seems like slow motion and lodges itself in her heart before she can reach her axe.

_Boom._

At the same time, a slightly bearish girl with long brown hair comes crashing through the woods, "Maple?" she asks, hoping the cannon might have signalled someone else's death but seeing the pool of blood lying around her and the sight of six of us, heavily armed, she knows it's too late and turns to run but Janus shoots an arrow that finds itself in her brain.

_Boom._

"Finally! Now let's see if they've got anything…" exclaims Clarinde as she rushes over to collect Maple's backpack, axe and jacket. Twinkle does the same with Chiffon this time without complaint.

"Water, matches, iodine, blah, blah, blah… food?" murmurs Twinkle, her voice filled with hope as she empties out the contents in Chiffon's backpack. Her face suddenly widens into a grin as she holds up a tiny box filled to the brim with indigo-coloured berries in triumph, "I recognise this! They're evening blues, completely edible!" Clarinde also waves three large packets of biscuits in the air, beaming from ear to ear. Julian and Janus are also giving small smiles.

While everyone is busy celebrating, Annette gives me a small nudge, "Are we still going on with the plan?" she whispers. I give a tiny shrug. Now that the worrying prospect of going hungry is gone, killing everyone in their sleep tonight doesn't seem that necessary. But how long will the food last us? And the longer we keep dragging the alliance on, the harder it will be to break the alliance when the time comes. "I say we end it tonight. No point in getting attached anyway."

Afterwards, we set off for the cave. Although we still get lost, the atmosphere seems almost…happy. In fact Twinkle and Clarinde are talking to each other, exchanging playful banter. Janus holds his sword at a relaxed angle and Julian is more talkative. It saddens me that in better times, we could have been friends, not allies carrying the knowledge that sooner or later, we will have to fight…

Soon, we arrive at the cave. By then, night has fallen and is ablaze with silver stars that twinkle and wink merrily. Under the velvety night sky, with several people laughing and joking, I can almost believe I am in District Four, home. Almost.

Julius gathers some branches in a pile and using a match, lights them. Fashioning a spit of sorts, I hang a tiny metal pot from the Cornucopia above the flame and throw in the katniss tubers and pour in some water to boil. Sitting around the fire, munching on the food reminds me of the campfires Skye, Blazer and I held by the beach, telling each other scary stories and trying not to jump at each gale of wind that swept by us, tickling the nape of our necks. _Will I ever see you guys again?_ I wonder, gazing up at the sky. _I will. I am coming home. Alive._

A little while later, we extinguish the fire and head to cave to sleep but not before checking for bats and debating over who should stand guard. Before Annette and I can offer, Twinkle and Janus volunteer saying they want some 'alone time', well at least that's what she said but Janus doesn't look upset. Quickly, I whisper to Annette, "They'll probably be too busy with each other we can definitely kill them quickly and get on."

As I roll out my sleeping bag, a wave of fatigue rolls over me and suddenly, the thin black bag in front of me looks like heaven. Looking around me, I see Clarinde struggling to keep her drooping eyelids open and Julian already fast asleep. Twinkle and Janus are sitting outside the cave lips locked and Annette is humming a lullaby softly. It's a traditional District 4 lullaby that brings to mind the sea sparkling under the warm sun in the azure blue sky, a fishing boat, a trident, the fuzzy warm feeling of safety.

_Well, if I don't wake up tomorrow, I'll have visited District Four in my dreams at least._ And this thought is the one that pulls me towards my sleeping bag like fish to bait with the promises of a nice dream ahead.

"Finnick, Finnick wake up. Fiiiniiick...!" "Five more minutes Vicky? I'll be down for breakfast soo-oon!" I mutter groggily waving my in the direction of the voice, shooing it away. A sharp jab in the ribs jerks me back to reality. I'm not at home trying to ignore Vicky's pleas to get me to wake up, I'm in the Hunger Games, in an arena where I'm about to execute a murder along with my district partner Annette. How could I have forgotten?

"_What?_" I ask, slightly irritated. "Look, there's a parachute in front of you, somebody just sponsored us!" exclaims Annette happily, waving a sheath of gleaming silver arrows with miniature barbs sticking out of the point. Angling my body away from the arrows, I turn my attention to the bulky package in front of me, wrapped in layers upon layers of silver silk. Ever so carefully, I remove each layer until no more silk remains. The sight that lies in front of me takes my breath away.

A _trident_.

Gleaming silver and studded with emeralds and sapphires is an actual trident. My head reeling, I try and calculate its price. Surely it must cost the world to send in a gift as expensive as _this!_ Annette's mouth hangs open in astonishment as she ogles the trident with a mixture of envy and admiration on her face. Tearing my eyes away from the trident, I notice a tiny note attached to a stray piece of silk, "_It's now or never. ~Mags"_ I repeat, reading her words out loud. "I guess she means we have to break the alliance before everyone wakes up…so…are you ready?"

"Me? Of course I'm ready, I've never been readier, are _you_ ready?" Annette babbles, laughing nervously as her skin suddenly turns a pale shade of green. "Um, _duh_ I'm ready; I'm way more ready than _you_ are." "I'm wounded you doubt my readiness!" "Okay…we're just procrastinating." I say, the weight of the trident in my hand suddenly ten times heavier at the thought of what we're going to do.

"Well, we should get the supplies first, let me disarm them…" I say, desperate for an excuse, desperate to keep some bit of humanity in me. Because after tonight, I'm not sure if I'll still be a hundred percent human. It is only then I notice that everyone, even Twinkle and Janus who are fast asleep have some sort of weapon next to them. And I simply can't ignore how closely Julian and Clarinde are sleeping next to each other, devoid of a frown for once.

Steeling myself, I quickly remove the dagger and sword from Twinkle and Janus and place them outside the cave. Annette takes the leftover food and divides it neatly into two equal piles. I reach for Clarinde's sword which rests lightly on her palm. I accidentally graze her palm with my fingernails, which have gone slightly uncut and she gives a little squeak. Annette jerks her head up and for a few minutes, time stops and we freeze. Then she sighs and goes back to sleep, her midnight black hair covering her face.

_Phew, that was a close one._

I look around for Julian's weapon. Strange, he doesn't seem armed. I'm about to ask Annette whether I've disarmed him already when I notice the enormous hilt of his sword sticking out from under his back. Classic Julian. Always so careful even when he isn't standing guard. I sigh, shaking my head in both admiration and resentment because my work just became ten times harder.

Studying the hilt thrice the size of a normal one I decide I'll dig a hole around it then slowly pull it out, hopefully without waking them. I slowly shift the dirt around Julian, minding my fingernails this time and trying not to think of what would happen if Julian awoke to find his ally digging a hole around him. When I'm done, I gingerly pull it out from underneath him, taking a step back to make up for its length.

_Crack._

What was that…?

Slowly, I turn my head around, praying to whatever god that I stepped on a twig.

No such luck, especially not in the arena.

Clarinde's hard black eyes fly open and they fly towards me, holding Julian's sword. She looks around her for her sword, realises its not there and fixes me and Annette with a look of pure venom. "This...this isn't what you're thinking Clarinde, babe…G-go back to sleep and forget this ever happened." I stutter, failing at the flirty guy act.

She narrows her eyes until they are slits. "Oh I know what you're thinking. And you're not getting away with it. And don't call me 'babe', _babe_" With that, she give me a hard punch to the forehead which makes the world spin around me and screams.

"JULIAN! OY! GET UP！FINNICK AND ANNETTE!" She marches over to Twinkle and Janus to wake them up but Annette shoots and arrow that whistles through the air before embedding itself in her neck.

_Boom._

The next to wake up is Twinkle. Her eyes widen at the sight of Clarinde's body. She gives a loud shriek that wakes up Julian and lastly, Janus. Annette nocks in another arrow but Twinkle has flung her knife at her, grazing her shoulder. _Oh wow, she can actually comprehend what's going on. Good job, Twinkle!_ The thought surfaces when I hurl my trident for her head before I have any idea about what I'm doing.

_Boom._

_What the hell Finnick?_ _You said you'd kill only if necessary! _My conscience screams at me just as Janus comes charging at me, looking so livid I can practically see smoke coming out of ears.

_This IS necessary! _A voice retorts as I launch myself at him and wrestle him to the ground. But Janus is much bigger than I am so instead of pushing him away, I roll over to where my trident is, grab it and stab him through the back.

_Boom._

I turn my attention to Annette. She is fending off Julian's sword attack with her knife and barely managing to do so. Clutching her shoulder while slipping in and out of Julian's grasp, her face a myriad of colours, I realise Twinkle's knife must have been coated in poison. I remember the promise I made and before my conscience starts nagging, I'm rolling onto his back and stabbing Clarinde's sword through his head.

_Boom._

"Well. We did it. Good job Annette." I say half-heartedly, my voice shaking as a parachute lands in front of Annette. She opens it up and finds a salve for the wound and applies it. As the wound magically closes and as the first few stripes of pink and yellow streak across the sky, I realise I just murdered three people in cold blood. _But that's not true! You had to, for one of District Four's tributes to win! _A comforting voice reminds me at the back of my head.

But as I shake hands with Annette and prepare to leave the cave, another voice, heavy with regret and anguish counters the first voice,

"_Either way, you're still a murderer."_

**A/N：Hi, I'm back from the dead with basically no excuse for this story's unexplained hiatus. Just so you know, it was NOT on hiatus, I was just having trouble thinking how to phrase the attack. And I started on this chapter right after I did the previous one but every weekend I just couldn't think it through I could but for every five sentences typed, I deleted twenty so..yeah. Feel free to flame.**_  
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	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Let the Madness begin**

_ Murderer._ I hear the word all around me despite being alone for the past three days. The wind whistles it as it dances through the leaves of the trees and in turn, the leaves whisper it in a sing-song voice as I pass under their deceptively inviting shade.

And the worst thing is? I agree. _How could I? What was I thinking?_ Was I possibly thinking that maybe no-one was watching when those four innocent souls died? _Stop getting soppy, they killed. That doesn't make them innocent. End of story. But you killed them in turn so… _

"Shut _up!" _I say, something in me snapping as the forest melts away to become a field of long grasses all the way up to my chest. The minute I sit down to take a break, the voice starts up again, making the memories of the deaths of the tributes fresh and painful again. I can still feel the air whooshing over my head when Annette shot the death arrow at Clarinde…the dead look in Janus' eyes when I shot Twinkle _before _I stabbed him through. Even if I wasn't responsible for the District Seven and Eight girls' deaths, their screams…ugh.

_I'm a murderer and I know it._

Hoping to distract myself, I pluck two blades of grass and weave them together, channelling my attention towards the plait I'm braiding. In, out, side to side, my fingers deftly manipulating the grass until I have a large net in my hands big enough to easily trap a full grown man, certainly enough for a tribute…

_There's nothing I can do now that I'm a murderer…. Might as well continue. I'm getting out of here faster anyway._

_Why not? I'm getting out of here faster._

_I'm getting out of here faster._

_I'm breaking out of hell._

_Faster._

_And I'm going to win._

_For District Four._

_For Annie._

My thoughts are interrupted when a loud scream pierces the air not so far away, followed by the dull thud of the cannon. Looking at the net in front of me, a plan hatches…

Clutching my trident, still stained with dried blood, I smile slightly when I hear the howl of something that sounds like a wolf.

_I don't care if I look retarded, I'm getting out of here._

Let the Games begin.

A/N: Ok, I have to say it: This chapter sucks. It's just that I realised I haven't updated my fanfics for at least a month and I wanted to get at least one chapter done for the release of The Hunger Games movie. So I rushed. And things sound insanely crappy when rushed. I haven't watched the movie yet and I'm DYING to watch it. I heard it was awesome (from people who have NEVER read the books). *Jealous*


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